According to the Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, U.S. President Donald J. Trump has told his aids to prepare for an extended U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Per the report, President Trump sees pulling out of the conflict or resuming combat operations against Iran as far more risky than continuing to blockade vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports. This news follows reporting that the intelligence community was given direction to assess the risk of declaring a unilateral victory and pulling back from the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The Pentagon is considering outsourcing warship design and building to Korea and Japan with a proposed $1.85 billion feasibility study into the project within the proposed budget for 2027, with the study to look at the feasibility of adopting or co-producing advanced hulls such as Japan’s Mogami-class and Korea’s Daegu-class frigates to supplement the U.S. Navy, according to USNI News.

His Majesty, King Charles lll joked about the ongoing construction on the White House’ East Wing during tonight State Dinner alongside President Trump, telling guests: “And if I may say so, it is a particular pleasure to be back in this wonderful building, the heart of your democracy. On this occasion, I cannot help noticing the readjustments to the East Wing, Mr. President, following your visit to Windsor Castle last year. And I'm sorry to say that we British, of course, made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814.”

King Charles lll continues with his jokes during tonight’s White House State Dinner: “This said, our French friends can feel equally at home with a glance at a map. Indeed, you recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has prepared a plan for a wave of “short and powerful” strikes against Iran in hopes of breaking the current deadlock in peace negotiations, though President Trump had yet to order any kinetic action as of Tuesday, three sources with knowledge told Axios.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has told Axios that he's going to keep Iran under a naval blockade until the regime agrees to a deal that addresses U.S. concerns about its nuclear program, rejecting an Iranian proposal to first open the Strait of Hormuz and lift the blockade, while postponing potential nuclear talks between Iran and the United States.

“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can't have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told Axios.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in his opening remarks this morning in front of the House Armed Services Committee for the administration’s requested $1.5 trillion defense budget in 2027, attacked members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, for not supporting the ongoing war against Iran:

“President Trump, unlike other presidents, has had the courage to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, and he's ironclad in that. We have the best negotiator in the world driving that deal. The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless, and defeatist words of Congressional Democrats and some Republicans two months in, I remind you, two months in to a conflict. Lest I remind you, and my generation understands how long we were in Iraq, how long we were in Afghanistan, how long we were in Vietnam. Two months in on an existential fight for the safety of the American people, Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb. We are proud of this undertaking. I am proud that President Trump was have the courage to do it and I look forward to sharing more about what our troops have accomplished. So I thank you again for the opportunity to address this committee. I ask that God would continue to watch over our troops in harm's way. And those that have fallen are always in our memory, and we fight to ensure their legacy. Look forward to answering the questions of this committee.”

Full opening remarks by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during today’s hearing in front of the House Armed Services Committee on the $1.7 trillion defense budget requested by the administration for 2027:

U.S. President Donald J. Trump spoke with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in a roughly one and a half hour long phone call this morning, according to the Kremlin, with discussions focusing around Iran and the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

During today’s phone call, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed President Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran, while warning of “extremely harmful consequences” if Israel and the United States resumed strikes against the Islamic Republic, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and her Carrier Strike Group, which have been deployed now for over 300 days, far surpassing the record for the longest aircraft carrier deployment since the Vietnam War, will depart from the Red Sea in the coming days to begin the journey back to her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, following last week’s arrival of the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) in the Middle East near Iran, officials tell the Washington Post.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump meets with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and the crew of Artemis ll, consisting of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, this afternoon inside the White House Oval Office.

Speaking moment ago in the Oval Office, President Trump stated that he had a “very good conversation” today with Russian President Vladimir Putin about both Iran and Ukraine, with Putin claimed to have expressed interest in helping with Iran’s stockpile of highly-enriched uranium, to which Trump respond: “I’d much rather have you involved with ending the war with Ukraine.”

President Trump says that he suggested and believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon announce a ceasefire with Ukraine.

Following his call today with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald J. Trump states that the both the war with Iran and Ukraine may be on “similar timetables” for when they could end, before appearing to misspeak and claim that Ukraine is “militarily defeated” while clearly speaking about Iran.

Reports of significant air-defense activity and explosions throughout the last hour over the Iranian capital of Tehran, with both U.S. and Israeli officials denying renewed strikes against Iran.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump said in a post tonight on TruthSocial following his call to with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that the United States is assessing a possible reduction of troops in Germany. Per the statement, “a determination [is] to be made over the next short period of time.”

U.S. President Donald J. Trump met with oil executives, including Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, at the White House yesterday to discuss the implications of the war with Iran. Per reports, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were also present at the meeting alongside President Trump.

During today’s hearing in front of the House Armed Services Committee regarding the $1.7 trillion defense budget requested by the Trump Administration for 2027, the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), Jules W. Hurst III stated that the Pentagon’s current estimate for the cost of the Iran War is $25 billion.